The second annual Brewers Mini Marathon and 10k is Saturday, beginning and ending at Miller Park. Last year, the race started out with some thunderstorms and chilly temps, but this year it looks like sunshine, blue skies and temperatures in the 70s (runners, start hydrating now!).

Runners of all types and abilities will be racing on Saturday, but a special group of runners are giving 11 special athletes an opportunity to race. On Saturday, my TEAM TRIUMPH’s disabled “challenged” athletes will take part in the race.

Racing on this team are over 70 participants including 11 challenged athletes (called “Captains”) guided by one to four able-bodied athletes (called “Angels”) run. The Captains are pushed in a specialized racing chair and for almost all the 11 captains will be the first race they have ever experienced. The team will lead off the event starting a few minutes before racers and will have a dedicated tent located near the start/finish-line.

Bernie Brewer poses with some of the myTEAM TRIUMPH runners at the 2012 Brewers Mini Marathon.

The only organization of its kind, myTEAM TRIUMPH enables hundreds of challenged athletes to experience the thrill and character-building benefits of participating in the greatest endurance events throughout the state. They create opportunities for challenged athletes (disabled individuals of all ages) to take part in races and endurance events like the Brewers Mini. Becoming race finishers and receiving their congratulatory medal, the Captains finally get to experience the thrill, challenges and sense of accomplishment one achieves by participating in events such as a road race or triathlon. For many of the Captains, it is the first time they hear support and cheers from the many fans and spectators along the way.

Members of myTEAM TRIUMPH at the 2012 race.

Through their mission, they hope enrich the health and well-being of people with disabilities by fostering lasting, authentic relationships through the teamwork environment of endurance athletics. I remember seeing a number of these participants in the race last year and it was very inspiring. I’m very happy that the group is growing and will be back this year. If you are participating in the race as a runner or a fan, be sure to give these runners a special cheer or wave as you see them.

In addition to the good that myTEAM TRIUMPH is doing, there are other ways racers can give back to the community through Saturday’s race. Participants and their supporters are invited to give to the MACC Fund and Brewers Community Foundation through fundraising. There is still time to raise money for this great organization as you can make donations through Saturday. More information on the MACC Fund and the fundraising aspect to the race can be found here.

Packet pickup for Saturday’s race begins today from 4 p.m. – 7 p.m. at Miller Park on the Club Level and continues tomorrow from 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. Packet Pickup is organized alphabetically by last name, and you must have a photo ID to pick up. You may pick up a packet for a friend. Please make sure you have a copy of their photo ID. Remember there WILL BE NO RACE DAY REGISTRATION OR PACKET PICKUP AND there are no transfers or refunds. After you pick up your race packet, please double-check and make sure that the enclosed information is properly assigned to you.

I am not participating in this year’s race, but Cait is volunteering at the “Back of the Pack.” If you want to join her, look for her among the volunteers who will be making sure no runner gets left behind. If you are looking to volunteer, there are still many opportunities to take part. Your organization, group or company can enjoy team-building while supporting our community. Groups are needed to help with Aid Stations and/or other areas. Please contact us at Race@Brewers.com or 414-902-4628 for more details or to reserve your group’s shift and receive sign up information!

Want to guarantee that someone in your group will win the Best Costume Contest this Halloween?

Try trick-or-treating with the Brewers mascots!

We are offering one lucky family the chance to spend Halloween with all five members of the Klement’s Famous Racing Sausages. Beginning tomorrow, fans can visit brewers.com/auction to participate in an online auction with the top bidder winning the opportunity to trick-or-treat in their local neighborhood with the Brewers mascots.

The “Trick-or-Treat Auction” begins tomorrow at noon CT and concludes on Tuesday, October 15 at 5 p.m. CT. The auction starts at $250 with bid increments of $25.

The top-bid winner will be notified by a Brewers representative and will be able to select from two different dates to trick-or-treat with Hot Dog, Italian Sausage, Bratwurst, Polish Sausage and Chorizo for one hour. The dates to select from are either Sunday, October 24 after 4:30 p.m. CT or Thursday, October 31 between 4 and 8 p.m. CT. The Klement’s Famous Racing Sausages’ appearance time will be for one hour and the winning neighborhood must be located within a 30-mile radius of Miller Park.

Net proceeds from the auction will benefit Brewers Community Foundation.

While you’re visiting brewers.com/auction, make sure you check out all of the other items you can bid on– we’ve got game-worn jerseys and caps, autographed photos, and more! Be sure to check back often as new items are added all the time.

As part of last night’s Fan Appreciation Night presented by Chevrolet, Brewers players were escorted on golf carts through the parking lots to surprise fans with gifts as a way of thanking everyone for their season-long support. After batting practice, the players hopped on the carts and went for the ride.

All the players, that is, except for Norichika Aoki, who decided he wanted to drive. He hopped in the driver’s seat of one of the carts and took off!

The gesture caught most fans by surprise as they really didn’t really expect to see Brewers players cruising through the lots on golf carts. It was a fun treat to see the reaction of the fans when the saw the players. There were a lot of double takes! It was also fun to see the reaction of the players, some of whom had never seen the extravagant tailgating that goes on before every Brewers game.

We have reached the last home series of the season. The Double Clutch is sending the 2013 season out with a bang. Featured this weekend is a St. Louis Brisket Stuffed Meatloaf Sandwich. This is not your mom’s meatloaf, that is for sure!

Beef Brisket Stuffed Meatloaf

A sandwich made of meatloaf, stuffed with house smoked beef brisket and cheddar cheese and topped with homemade ancho ketchup give this sandwich tangy, smoked flavor. This is definitely one of my favorite’s this year. Served with house made kettle chips and a pickle for $10, it is a delicious meal and a great way to send Brewers fans to the off-season.

A staple of the Double Clutch, the Spaghetti-in-a-Meatball is also available again and features a 1/2 pound beef and veal meatball stuffed with spaghetti and mozzarella cheese and topped with marinara sauce. That is $9.

The Double Clutch stand is on the Loge Level outside section 215 (on the first base side of the press box). Thanks for your support on enjoying the Double Clutch this year. Chef John and his crew brought a number of creative ideas to the Double Clutch and I cannot wait to see what he has next year! What was your favorite Double Clutch item of 2013? Please vote below and feel free to comment as well.

If you haven’t seen the show, in each episode Adam immerses himself into an event that has a legendary base of obsessed, passionate superfans, from the Daytona 500 to the Kentucky Derby to Trucks Gone Wild. Along the way, he meets veteran attendees, known for their years of dedication and commitment to what they love. He samples their fantastic food, enjoys the homemade gadgets that makes each setup unique, and learns their insider secrets to what makes each of these events so legendary and worthy of wild celebration. To cap off each event, Adam takes everything he’s uncovered on his journey to give back to the fans with something they’ve never seen before: a new culinary creation inspired by the event and an amazing party that celebrates the superfans he’s visiting.

When he visited us, Adam (along with special guest former Brewers outfielder and current MLB Network analyst Darryl Hamilton) was on a mission to find our craziest super fans, culinary creations and cultural experiences (read: tailgating) that help put Miller Park on the map.

We think he got more than he bargained for. The Miller Park episode of Fandemonium (called “Brewers, Brats and Beer”) is set to premiere this Sunday on the Travel Channel at 8pm CT.

Here’s a sneak peek:

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After you watch the show, make sure you come back and share your comments with us!

Yesterday, Major League Baseball and Chevrolet, the official vehicle of Major League Baseball, announced that Jonathan Lucroywas named the Milwaukee Brewers 2013 nominee for the prestigious Roberto Clemente Award presented by Chevrolet.

Today marks the 12th annual Roberto Clemente Day, which was established by Major League Baseball to honor Clemente’s legacy and to officially recognize local Club nominees of the Roberto Clemente Award presented by Chevrolet. Lucroy is one of the 30 Club finalists for the annual award, which recognizes a Major League Baseball player who best represents the game of baseball through positive contributions on and off the field, including sportsmanship and community involvement.

The Roberto Clemente Award presented by Chevrolet pays tribute to Clemente’s achievements and character by recognizing current players who truly understand the value of helping others. The 15-time MLB All-Star and Hall of Famer who died in a plane crash on New Year’s Eve 1972 while attempting to deliver supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua.

Lucroy has been a consistent supporter of military initiatives, primarily Fisher House Wisconsin, which is a facility for military veterans and their families receiving treatment at the Milwaukee VA Hospital. Each month, he invites wounded heroes to Brewers games and meets with them. He often visits veterans’ hospitals in Milwaukee, on road trips and near his home in Louisiana. Lucroy also provided in-kind support and recorded a PSA for the city-wide initiative to hire veterans. For the past three years, he has provided $5,000 scholarships to military families.

Lucroy is active with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, granting wishes and visiting hospitals. He created a PSA for Fisher House as well as the Brewers Community Foundation’s 5K Sausage Run/Walk in support of Fisher House and served as a spokesperson for the MDA Team Muscle Walk and BCF’s Drive for Charity. He also participates in the Brewers’ youth clinics. Additionally, Lucroy supports the Miracle League, which allows all children to play organized baseball regardless of ability. Along with his military support, he has been very supportive of Brewers Community Foundation, which focuses on health, education, recreation and basic needs.

Lucroy will be recognized as the Brewers’ nominee for the 2013 Roberto Clemente Award presented by Chevrolet in a pre-game ceremony at Miller Park prior to tonight’s game. As part of the league-wide celebration, the Roberto Clemente Day logo will also appear on the bases and the official dugout lineup cards.

The distinguished list of past national Roberto Clemente Award recipients includes 14 members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame:

1971

Willie Mays+**

1982

Ken Singleton

1993

Barry Larkin+

2004

Edgar Martinez

1972

Brooks Robinson+**

1983

Cecil Cooper

1994

Dave Winfield+

2005

John Smoltz

1973

Al Kaline+

1984

Ron Guidry

1995

Ozzie Smith+

2006

Carlos Delgado

1974

Willie Stargell+

1985

Don Baylor

1996

Kirby Puckett+

2007

Craig Biggio

1975

Lou Brock+

1986

Garry Maddox

1997

Eric Davis

2008

Albert Pujols

1976

Pete Rose

1987

Rick Sutcliffe

1998

Sammy Sosa

2009

Derek Jeter

1977

Rod Carew+

1988

Dale Murphy

1999

Tony Gwynn+

2010

Tim Wakefield

1978

Greg Luzinski

1989

Gary Carter+

2000

Al Leiter

2011

David Ortiz

1979

Andre Thornton

1990

Dave Stewart

2001

Curt Schilling

2012

Clayton Kershaw

1980

Phil Niekro+

1991

Harold Reynolds

2002

Jim Thome

1981

Steve Garvey

1992

Cal Ripken, Jr.+

2003

Jamie Moyer

+ Member of the Baseball Hall of Fame

** Originally known as the Commissioner’s Award (prior to 1973)

Beginning today, on Roberto Clemente Day, fans are encouraged to participate in the process of selecting the national Roberto Clemente Award presented by Chevrolet recipient by visitingChevyBaseball.com, which is powered by MLB Advanced Media, to vote for one of the 30 Club nominees. Voting ends on Sunday, October 6 and participating fans will be automatically registered for a chance to win a trip to the 2013 World Series, where the national winner of the Roberto Clemente Award presented by Chevrolet will be announced. The winner of the fan vote will receive one vote among those cast by the selection panel.

It’s the homestretch for the Brewers Mini-Marathon and 10K. If you have signed up and haven’t started training, what are you waiting for!? Less than two weeks until the big race!

And… that also means less than two weeks to help fundraise and support a very important organization, the MACC Fund (Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer).

For over 35 years, the MACC Fund has raised over $41 million for childhood cancer and related blood disorder research. It is a cause that has touched many lives, most likely someone you may know.

The MACC Fund works with the Medical College of Wisconsin, Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin and the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center. In addition, the MACC Fund also sponsors research centers in Madison and Milwaukee.

The Brewers have teamed up with the MACC Fund to raise money for their cause. The race is a great way to shed some light on how important the MACC Fund is to childhood cancer research. Visit BrewersMini.com to donate in the name of any person running the Brewers Mini.

So, if you’ve thought about participating in the physical race yourself, but don’t have the chance or the stamina this year, you can still participate in another race–the race to wipe out childhood cancer and related blood disorders—one child at a time.
If you’re running the race and have already started fundraising, that’s great! Please know your support and efforts are much appreciated We’d also like to hear from you–what’s been working? Have you tried campaign emails or letters? How about a fundraising party, teaming up with others, or getting creative? Garage sales, bake sales and car washes are some easy and fun ideas to help boost your total.

Last year, more than $100,000 was raised for the MACC Fund by participants in this event. With your help, we can push that number even higher. We’ve been checking out the Fundraising page on the brewersmini.com and we are thrilled to see terrific numbers coming in so far, but we still have a long way to go.

And because incentives are helpful not only in racing, but also in fundraising, Brewers Enterprises has some great ones to keep you motivated!

Various levels have been established to qualify for individual and group prizes. The top individual and group fundraisers will get their choice of prize within their qualifying level, all other fundraisers will be entered into a drawing for the remaining prizes for which they qualify.

Prizes include everything from autographed baseballs and rounds of golf to tickets to Opening Day and the opportunity to take batting practice! For a full list of prizes, click here.

So there you have it. On Saturday, September 28, we all have two common goals–to finish the race strong and to help support this important cause.

Entering the final two home series of the season, here’s an updated list of player entrance music for you.

However, it doesn’t take much for a player to change his tune, so to make sure you’re up-to-date, make sure you download the free MLB At The Ballpark App! In addition to check-in offers, ballpark maps, game updates and more, one of the really cool features is “Ballpark Music.” Like a song you hear? Check it out on At The Ballpark–and you can even download it right there! No Shazam necessary!

Tyler Thornburg: “Chelsea Dagger” by The Fratellis (Something I picked for him)

2013 PITCHING ENTRANCE MUSIC

Burke Badenhop: “Stranglehold” by Ted Nugent

Marco Estrada: “Bodies” by Drowning Pool

Alfredo Figaro:“Work hard play hard” by Wiz Khalifa

Yovani Gallardo: “My Time” by Fabolous

Tom Gorzelanny: “When the Levee Breaks” by Led Zeppelin

Johnny Hellweg: “Make It Bun Dem” by Skrillex

Jim Henderson: “I Got Mine” by the Black Keys

Kyle Lohse: “Wake Up” by Rage Against the Machine

Wily Peralta: “Ponteme Melia” by Chimbala

In case you weren’t aware, in addition to At The Ballpark, we do keep a list of these songs on brewers.com and try our best to update it accordingly, so you might want to bookmark this pagefor future reference. Last year, I also took most of these songs and turned then into a personal playlist on Spotify. I’m going to try to keep it updated during the season, so join me in listening if you’re like!

So now, what about you? What’s your favorite, or most memorable Brewers at-bat song? And, if you were a player, what song might you choose as yours?

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